Fighting The Financial Strain That Comes With Chronic Pain

This is a collaborative post.

Your chronic pain may be physical, but we all learn sooner or later that the mental and emotional impacts can be just as hurtful. One that is particularly common is the stress associated with financial strain. Besides budgetary problems that can lead to debt, financial stress is very closely associated with depression, anxiety, and more health risks. For that reason, it’s worth taking seriously.

Don’t let pain distract you

If you’re unable to work due to physical pain, then it’s essential you start taking a more thorough look at your budget. There are interactive budget worksheets online that can help you calculate all your costs and begin to find where you can scale back your expenses. Try to do your budget on a day when your pain is at its lowest point. The sooner you get your budget complete, the sooner you can find savings and make your financial situation a little more bearable.

Get what you deserve

If you’re unable to work due to chronic pain or disability, then there should be assistance you can take advantage of but you need to make it a priority and avoid procrastinating. Social security benefits can take a long time to process, but you can get help from disability helplines with making an effective application. If your pain is the result of someone else’s actions or negligence, you can find a long term disability lawyer online. Many people give up on getting what they deserve because it can involve a fight, appeals, and delays. It’s important to be persistent as the alternative is real financial trouble.

Protect your assets

If you own a home or any other assets that you are currently paying a loan on, then the sooner you can rearrange your situation, the better. For instance, if your chronic pain or injury is interfering with your ability to pay the mortgage, there are several steps that can help you avoid foreclosure. Refinancing, debt settlement, debt negotiation, and consolidation loans can help you manage your creditors. Don’t let your debt go unaddressed as it will keep growing and this can eventually lead to bankruptcy.

Take care of yourself

As mentioned, stress has some significant impacts on your physical health. Some of the surprising symptoms include exacerbating your pain, causing you trouble sleeping, feeling overwhelmed, and poor self-esteem. If you begin to notice these, don’t hesitate to inform your doctor. Besides managing your physical symptoms, you may benefit from counselling or finding a support group. As has become a common thread in this post, don’t simply wait for things to get better. You can learn stress management techniques like meditation and mindfulness exercises that can help you control your reaction to stressful situations and stimuli on a day-to-day basis.

If you’re concerned that you’re heading for difficult financial terrain, the best approach is to deal with it as soon as possible. A trusted friend, community agency, or even your bank can start providing advice to help you get back on an even keel.

Hello

I’m Alice, I’m here to help you cope with and understand chronic pain. I share my experiences, tips and advice to help you carry on doing the things you enjoy and teach your friends and family to understand more so they can support you.